Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Calstock is home to this Grade I listed parish church, which is probably of late 14th-century origin, with additions dating from the early 15th century and late 15th century. The building underwent alterations around the mid-17th century and was restored in 1866 by the Incorporated Society for Building and Churches.

The church is constructed of slatestone rubble with granite dressings. The tower, south porch and rood stair are built in granite ashlar. Roofs are of slate with raised coped verges to gables.

The plan consists of a nave and chancel in one, with a north aisle of early 15th-century date and a south aisle of late 15th-century date. The west tower and south porch also date from the late 15th century. Around the mid-17th century, one bay was added to the east end of both the north and south aisles; the south aisle bay includes an axial stack. The east end of the north aisle forms the Edgcumbe Chapel.

Exterior

The nave is enclosed by aisles. The chancel's east end features a 3-light 19th-century window with cusped lights, a 4-centred arch and hood mould. An attached slate tablet commemorates John Procter, 1840.

The north aisle consists of 4 bays with a hollow-chamfered plinth, while the eastern bay sits on a chamfered plinth and is set apart by a straight joint. The aisle has 2-light early 19th-century windows with 4-centred arches and hood moulds, along with paired lancets featuring Y tracery. Between the two eastern windows stands the rood stair on a chamfered plinth, lit by a single light and finished with a cornice and blocking course. The east bay has a 4-centred arched doorway, chamfered with step stops and a hood mould with label stops, fitted with a 19th-century door. A blocked window to its left retains a moulded cill and lintel. The eastern end displays a 3-light mullion and transom window with a hollow-chamfered hood mould and label stops. The west end has a 3-light window with 4-centred arched lights and hood mould.

The south aisle contains 4 bays with an integral porch in the west bay, and an additional bay to the east marked by a straight joint. The aisle stands on a chamfered plinth, though this plinth is absent from the eastern bay. Three windows light the south side: two matching those on the north aisle and one 19th-century 3-light window with cusped lights and hood mould. An eastern doorway features chamfering with step stops and a basket arch, with a 19th-century door. The end bay has quoins, a straight joint and a blocked window of paired lancets with Y tracery and hood mould. The eastern end mirrors the north aisle with a 3-light mullion and transom window. To the south, an attached slate tablet with shouldered nowy head, cherub, hourglass and cross bones commemorates Mary Martyn, 1743. The west end has a 3-light window with ogee lights, a 4-centred arch and hood mould. An axial stack rises in granite ashlar with cornice and shaped top.

The gabled south porch sits on a hollow-chamfered plinth with diagonal buttresses. Its 4-centred arched outer doorway is flanked by clustered piers and features concave mouldings. The interior has a concrete floor with an inset granite ledger to the Griffin family, dated 1625, and a 19th-century wagon roof. A holy water stoup stands to the east, and a recess is set low in the western wall. The inner doorway has a narrow 4-centred arch with moulded surround and a 19th-century studded door with strap hinges and wooden case lock.

The west tower rises in 3 stages on a hollow-chamfered plinth with set-back buttresses rising to the second stage and an embattled parapet with pinnacles. The pinnacles are corbelled out from the second stage and are octagonal in form. The west doorway has a 4-centred arch, hollow-chamfered, with a square hood mould and a 19th-century studded door. Above it is a 19th-century 3-light window with cusped lights. A clock occupies the second stage on the west face. The third stage has 2-light bell-openings of paired 4-centred arched lights with wooden louvres and relieving arches.

Interior

The walls are plastered and the floor is 19th-century tile. The nave and chancel have separate roofs: the nave retains a 15th-century ceiled wagon roof with carved bosses and wall-plate, while the chancel has an unceiled 19th-century wagon roof. The north aisle has a ceiled 15th-century wagon roof with carved bosses and wall-plate. The south aisle has a ceiled wagon roof, possibly of 16th or 17th-century date, with moulded ribs and wall-plate but no bosses.

The tower has a tall 4-centred tower arch with paired piers to its sides, plain capitals and imposts. A pointed arched chamfered north door leads to the tower stair, fitted with 19th-century doors.

The nave and chancel form one space. The north arcade comprises 4 bays with piers having 4 shafts and chamfered 4-centred arches. The 4-bay south arcade features Pevsner A-type piers with capitals displaying ring-mouldings and 4-centred moulded arches. The chancel has a north door to the Edgcumbe Chapel and a south piscina. The east window has a rere-arch and upper relieving arch with a splayed reveal above for a single light.

The north aisle has a doorway to the rood stair with a rebate for a door and basket arch, a stone newel stair, and an upper doorway. The south aisle has a 19th-century east door and a south doorway at the east end.

Fittings and Monuments

A 19th-century stone font stands in the south aisle. The nave contains 19th-century pews and a stone pulpit. In the tower is a fine ringers' board painted with ringers and verses, dated 1773. The south aisle displays a Royal Arms dated 1816 and a letter of thanks from Charles I at Sudeley, dated 1643 and signed by the churchwardens, 1736, both oil on board in moulded frames.

The chancel contains a marble tablet on a slate ground commemorating John Trengrove, 1780. The north aisle holds a marble sarcophagus on a slate ground to Jane Wrayford, 1838; a stone tablet to John Terrell, 1796; an oval marble tablet on slate ground to Nicholas Gribbell, 1827; and a stone tablet with entablature and pediment by Lobb of Calstock to John Strick, 1844. The south aisle has a marble tablet on slate ground to Lucretia Roberts, 1813; a marble tablet on slate ground to Mary Williams, 1813; and a marble tablet with pediment by Lobb of Calstock to Thomas Merchant, 1845.

The Edgcumbe Chapel, which was not accessible at the time of survey in January 1987, contains a monument to Piers Edgcumbe, 1666, and a monument to Jemima, Countess of Sandwich, 1674.